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Prince de Galles

A smart, compact, and extremely stylish 1920s hotel on Avenue George V, in the heart of the 8e designer district. The spirit of its original Art Deco design has been captured throughout, from the mosaic floor of Les Heures bar to the rooms which feature macassar veneer furniture and two-tone patterned carpets.

Location

8/10

Slap in the middle of the designer 8e district, yards from Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and so on. Hediard is two doors away. It’s less convenient for most of the big sights, though line one of the Métro is very close by.

Style & character

9/10

Named after the future King Edward VIII, before he met Wallis Simpson, the hotel originally opened in 1928, as a notable expression of the latest Art Deco fashion for restrained elegance - the antidote to the curlicue fussiness of Art Nouveau and the Belle Epoque. Churchill, Laurel and Hardy and Marlene Dietrich were among the guests in the early years, but it has recently been overshadowed by its glitzier neighbour, the George V. The Prince de Galles re-opened in May 2013 after a brilliant but subtle two-year refurbishment, which has restored the clean lines of the stone and marble lobby, the lovely mosaics of the central garden courtyard, and exposed once more the mosaic floor of the Les Heures bar. There is a sense of fun too - in the mismatching easy chairs, splashes of bright colours and the wall-lights in the form of the three-feathers of the Prince of Wales’ heraldic badge.

Service & facilities

6/10

Some serious hiccups in the housekeeping department - failure to produce an iron, room serviced while I was in the shower - but swift and attentive in the bar, and of the highest order in La Scène restaurant.

Bar

Fitness centre

Laundry

Parking

Restaurant

Room service

Spa

Steam room/hammam

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

Many of the 159 rooms overlook the quiet, central courtyard. The Art Deco spirit is subtly recaptured in many of the details - from the curved corners of the macassar veneer furniture, the two-tone patterned carpets, the simple, bright colours of the armchairs (orange, green or purple), beautiful mosaic bathrooms, to the angular door furniture and simple light switches. Large mirrors don’t mask the fact that standard rooms are rather compact for a hotel in this price bracket.

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Food & drink

9/10

La Scène is the main restaurant, just reopened under 31-year-old Stéphanie Le Quellec, a rising star in France who recently won Top Chef (the French equivalent of Master Chef for professionals). Don’t expect rich elaborate sauces however; flavours are carefully blended and controlled, but the cooking is simple and precise, and based on seasonal produce and dishes from the South of France. The setting is highly contemporary, with white leather seats, and a kitchen open to the dining room on three sides, and this is formal French dining at its best - very much a restaurant in a hotel, rather than a hotel restaurant. Lunch (£50) is best value, half the price of the cheapest dinner menu. Breakfast and informal meals are served in Les Heures.